When a bedridden patient wants to relieve themself of bodily fluids and waste, the common practice is to roll the patient on their side, place an open pan on the bed, and then roll the patient back onto the pan. This can be a very painful experience for a patient who has just had surgery, and most times the pan inserted is made of metal and is very cold to the touch of the skin. Then the patient's bed must be elevated to bring the patient into a somewhat sitting position. After relieving themself, the same steps must be repeated to move the patient off of the pan. Sometimes the contents of the pan may spill making it necessary to change the entire bed linens, as well as the patient's garment. There is also the chance that the attendant placing the patient on the pan may hurt themself by physical exertion if the patient is very large or unable to move or help the attendant in placing the pan.
Those concerned with these and other problems recognize the need for an improved method and apparatus for receiving fluids and wastes of bedridden patients.